Ring-furnace



s. EEBROADWELL.

RING FURNACE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, I918- RENEWED SEPT. 5. 1919.

Patented Feb. 10,1920.

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RING FURNACE. APPLICATION FILED IAN. 22, 1918. RENEWED SEPT. 5, 1919.

' Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

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RING FURNACE. APPL ICATION FILED IAN. 22,1918- RENEWED SEPT. 5,1919- 1,330, 164. Patented Feb. 10,1920.

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RING FURNACE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, I913- RENEWED SEPT\ 5,1919

Patented Feb. 10,1920.

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' BARTLEY E. BROADWELL, or BADIN, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR To, ALUMINUM COMPANY OF NEW J EBSEY.

Application filed January 22,1918, Serial No. 213,132.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, BARTLEY E BROAD- WELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Badin, county of Stanley, and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ring- Furnaces, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. i

This invention relates to so-called ring? furnaces, for heating or baking articles of various kinds, as for example carbon electrodes for arc-lighting, for electric furnaces, forelectrolytic processes, etc. In furnaces of this type as usually c'onstructedat the present time, two parallel rows of heating chambers are constructed, preferably underground and with the tops of the chambers flush with or extending slightly above the surface of the ground. \Vhen the furnace is in operation all the chambers are in use in such manner that one or more chambers containing articles already heated or baked (and still hot) are being cooled by air drawn in from the outside.- This air, preheated by absorption of heat from the previously fired chambers, is delivered to the next chamber and there supports combustion of e producer gas or other fuel with which the furnace is fired. From the furnace under fire the products of combustion pass through the next section or sections, and, in doing so, give up heat to the articles therein, thereby preheating such articles. When the articles in the chamber or section, under fire are sufiiciently heated or baked the supply of fuel is diverted therefrom to the next chamber, that 1 and fresh unheated or unbaked articles are a being placed in the first empty" chamber beyond those containing articles which are being preheated. In this Way the fire ,proceeds down one row or series of chambers, then crosses over to'the adjoining row, passes up the latter row to the end, and then over to the first row again and so Hence the name ring, furnace? The present invention relates to furnaces of this general type, and its object is to pro vide an improvedfurnace of highefiiciency. To this and other ends the invention consists in the novel features of construction and space near one end.'

tially on the line AMERICA, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or RING-FURNACE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patnted Feb. 10, 1920.-

Renewed September 5, 1919. Serial No. 321,962.

combinations of elements hereinafter described.

Referring now to the drawings,

Figure l is a sectional plan view of a portion of a furnace embodying the present invention. In this figure the end chambers of the two rows or series of chambersare shown, with all but two of the intermediate chambers omitted because of insufficient to show] the same on an adequate scale The chambers illustrated are shown in horizontal section on various planes,

I chiefly on the planes indicated the lines 1-4, 1-1, of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one rowof chambers, substantially on -lines II-II of Figs. 1 and 4-. T F ig. 3 is a cross section through both rows or series of chambers, substantially on line III-J11 of Fig. 1. L

t Fig. 4 is a cross section substantially on line IV'IV of Figs. 1 and 2. t I Fig. 5 is a plan View of the furnace, with a number of sections or chambers omit ted Fig. '6 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section, one line VIVI of Fig. 5, through one row .of chambers, to illustrate the course ofthe air and gases;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section illustrating another. form of the invention. hand portion of this figure is taken substan 77, and the right'-" hand portion substantially on the line- 7- f, of Fig. 8.

Fig 8 is a sectional plan view of the furnace shownin Fig. 7; the lower part of the left-hand portion being taken about on line 88,' and the right-hand portion being taken about on line 8L8, of Fig. 8. a

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section, the lefthand portion being taken about on line 9-9, and the right-hand portion about on line9 f, of Fig. 7.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, X indicates a chamber been removed to permit removal of heattreated and thoroughly cooled articles, for instance carbon electrodes, hereinafter rethat havebeen baked. Outside air enters the hollow or channeled walls of chamber X and flows through'the' similar walls, and

The left- 85 froin which. the cover has bottoms, of chambers a,

' heated air,

b, c, d, absorbing heat from these chambers and their contents and being preheated thereby, as will be read ily understood. At Y gaseous fuel is introduced and is burned atthe burner-ports 3 the combustion being supported by the pre- 7 from chambers a, b, c, d, issuing from ports y. The products of combustion pass downwardly through the hollow walls and bottom to the rear, as indicated by'the arrows, and in like manner through the 1101- q low walls and bottoms of chambers f, g, h,

passing to the. waste-gas flue at Z. The carbons in e are thus baked, and the products of combustion give up heat to the unbaked carbons pre viouly placedin chambers f, g, it. These unbaked carbons are thus preheated. When the carbons in e are sufficiently baked the supply of fuel gas is cut off at Y and switched to Y, and is ignited under the cover of chamber 7". 'Atthe same time the air from chamber at passes through the walls and bottom of chamber 6, thereby absorbing more heat from said Walls and bottom and from the freshly baked (and therefore highly heated) carbons in e, and unites with the fuel gas burning under the cover of has been chamber f. In the meantime, chamber X emptied and is being refilled; chamber a has been cooled sufliciently to permit removal 'of its cover and the carbons in the chamber; and "chamber j, through which outside air was being admitted to the next chamber and bthers beyond, has been' loaded, so that the products of combustion from chambera f (now being fired) pass through the walls of chambers g, h, i,.and thence to thewaste-gas flue. While chamber e was being fired, ports 26 and 29- of' chamber j were blocked by the closure 7" so that the suction of the exhauster (37) will be exerted only on the chambers in rear of chamber j. In like manner .chamber g is next fired, chamber 6 being opened for removal of carbons, chamber a being refilled, etc.,'the firing taking a progressive course down the first row, then across to and up for instance chambers X, a,

the second, then across to and'down the first again, continuously. 4

In the procedure specifically outlined above (merely to illustrate'and explain the operation of the furnace), nine chambers, b, h, con stitute what may for convenience of description be termed agroup. Of these the M first (X) is open and is being unloaded and,

later, reloaded. Tlie next four (a, b, 0, d) contain baked carbons which are being cooled by air admitted through the open chamber (X). The next (6) is being fired, and the next three (f, g, 72.) are being preheated by products of combustion from .6. If, as is usually the case, there are in the entire furnace more chambers than enough for a single group, one or more other groups are in operation at the. same time. Hence it -z' becoming the last of group .1 instead of being the first of group 2.

The chambers comprising the furnace, which in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to '6 are closed by means of removable covers 10, Figs. 2 and 3, are all exactly alike save for certain slight modifications in the end chambers, entailed by their positions, as will be explained hereinafter. Each'chamber is divided by longitudinal walls or partitions 11 into cells or compartments (four in the present embodiment of the invention). These partitions, the bottoms of the chamits group b'ers,.the end walls 12, and the side walls 13,

are all hollow, providing channels, passages, or fiues for the gaseous fuel, the air to support combustion, and'the waste gases or products of combustion. Across the top of each hollow end wall is a horizontal partition 14, Figs. 2 and 3, leaving a transverse passage 15 above i t, which is provided at its inner end with an inlet opening 16 and at its outer end withan outlet 17. This passage or conduit 15 can be connected by means of a siphon-shaped pipe or connector 18 to a gas manifold 19 extending lengthwise of the furnace between the two series of chambers and receiving combustible gas from a main .20, Fig. 5. which may be provided with a valve indicated diagrammatically at 21, fits down upon the inlet 16 and upon the appropriate one of a series of manifold outlets 22 individual to the several chambers, and is removable so' that it may be shifted from chamber to chamber as the firing progresses around the furnace in ring-fashion as already described. Such'manifold-outlets as are not in use are closed by removable covers 23, Fig.1, and the corresponding out-of-use inlet openings 16 of the passages 15' are closed by similar covers The outlet openings 17 are also provided with similar covers 25, Fig. 3.

.Along and just above the horizontal partition 14 (Figs. 2 and 3) each end-wall 12 is formed with a series of burner-openings or ports 26, leading from the adjacent transverse gas-passage or conduit 15 which, it will be remembered, receives combustible The connector,

" gas from the manifold 19 by way of the connector 18. This gas burns at the openings or burners 26, the flames extendingout under the covers 10 and over the cellscontaining the carbons or other articles which are to be heated.

Below the horizontal partitions 14' the passages in the hollow. end walls .12, Figs.- 1- and 3, are divided by means of vertical partitions 27 into up-flues 28, and just below the said horizontal partitionsthe said end walls are provided with a transverse series of outlet apertures 29 which are in vertical alinement with the burner-openings 26. Air rising in the up-flues 28 issues from the apertures 29 and supports the combustion of-the gas at the burners 26.

-The down-fines, in the hollow longitudinal partitions 11 and the hollow side walls 13, Figs. 2 and 3, are provided with horizontal bafiies 30, 31, producing tortuous passages through which pass the products of combustion from the burning of the gas and air issuing from the apertures 26 and 29 respectively. ,The aforesaid hollow walls and partitions are continued downwardly into and through the hollow floor or bottom of the furnace chamber, and in the said bottom they are pierced with transverse openings 32, Figs. Land 2. Between the partitions 11 and sidewalls 13 the hollow bottom of the chamber is divided into longitudinal passages or,flues 33 by longitudinal partitions 34, Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The products of combustion therefore flow downwardly between the bafiles 30, 31, in the down-fines, laterally through the apertures 32 in the bottoms of the hollow portion 11 and end walls 13, and thence longitudinally through the ducts33 to the vertical passages or up flues 28 in the next end wall 12. Rising in the latter wall (which separates the chamber which is being fired from the next, which latter contains carbons in process of'being preheated) the products of com-, 'bustion issue from the openings 29 in the end-wall last referred to, and thereafter pursue a course, like that already described,

through the hollow -walls,'bottom', and partitions of the chamber next succeeding the firing chamber. For instance, assuming that chamber 6, Fig. 6, is being fired, the

' products of combustion or waste gases flow through passages or flues 28- and 33 of chambers f, g,'and h in succession. YIt will be understood that in chambers f, g and h the gas-inletopenings 16 (notshown in Fig. 6) are closed by their covers 24. Likewise, the outlet openings 17 of chambers e, f, g and h are closed by their covers 25. The outlet 17 of chamber 71, however, is connected by a siphon-shaped pipe or connector 35 (Figs. 4 and 5) to the adjacent waste-gas 1 flue 36 running parallel to theadjacent side of the furnace. At asuitable point, say

about the center, each flue- 36 is provided with an exhauster 37 driven by a motor 38, for drawing the waste gases into the exhaust stack 39. For connectionwith the .outlet openings 17 by means of the aforesaid connectors 35 the flues 36 are provided with inlets 40. Such of these inlets as are not in use (the inlets at chambers e, f, g and h in the present instance) are closed by removable covers 41. At one end of the furnace the two flues or ducts 36 are connected "by a transverse flue 42, Fig. 1.

-As previously explained, the chambers 03, c, b and a, in rear of firing chamber 6, contain carbons already fired and now being cooled,-chamber d having been fired just be- 0!, absorbing heat from the walls, bot- From the last chamber in the first row or series (the chamber at the right end of the. lower row in Fig. 1) the air or gases must cross over tothe next row. For this'purpose the up-flue'in the right end-wall 12 of said chamber extends only about half-way to the top, as shown in Fig. 4, and communicates at its inner end (its right-end in Fig. 4) with a passage 43 which leadslaterally into the adjoining end-wall of the next succeeding chamber. The longitudinal partitions 11 of the two end chambers are carried into and across the spaces in the end-walls to form vertical partitions in the latter, with openings 44, 45, at the top openings 44 successively greater in a.rea, and' in the right chamber the partitions extend downwardly to successively lower points to make the openings 45 successively less in area. The openings are thus properly proportioned in area to the volume of the gas or air which they carry. The lastchamber of the first row (the left chamber in Fig. 4) has nowaste-gas outlet 17. When Waste gases are to be delivered fromthis chamber to the waste gas flue 36 they are led through the passage 43 and. enter the flue by way of the outlet 17 which is shown in Fig. 4 at the right. The chambers at the other end of the furnace (the left end in Fig. 1) are constructed in the same manner as the two at the right end. just described.

From the foregoing it will be seen that in each chamber the combustible gas issues from a transverse duct orv passage in-the top of the first transverse end-wall and burns forwardly in the combustion space or flue over the carbons piled in the cells into which the chamber is divided; it being understood, of course, that the carbons are covered with fire-brick dust or] other inertnon-combustible' material to protect them from cont'actwith the flames and possible injury by oxidation or otherwise. The preheated air to support combustion rises;

right and left into the longitudinal passages" or flues in said bottom, then longitudinally to the bottom of the up-fiue in the next transverse end-wall. The latter is the front end-wall of the next chamber, which, when the furnace is in operation, contains unfired carbons. Passing up this wall the gases are discharged under the cover: of the said chamber, which is the first chamber undergoin preheating, and pass down through the 1%0 through the bottom of the chamber, and so on, exactly as in the firing chamber, throughas many chambers as contain unfired carbons. Finally the waste gases, most of whose heat having been given up to the carbon 'pre-heating chambers and contents are delivered to the waste-gas flue. Thg air to support combustion in the firing chaniber,'as described, flows through the passages in the walls,partitions and bottoms of one or more chambers in rear of the firing chamber, following like paths to those pursuedby the products of combustion, already described. These rear chambers are hot from previous firings and fired carbons, so that the air, taking heat therefrom, cools the chambers and theircontents and is thereby pre-heated be fore it is discharged into the firing chamber to support the combustion of the fuel 'gas delivered thereto.

' The construction illustrated in- Figs. 7 8' I and 9 differs from that already described in several particulars. In the first place, it will be observed that in the furnace first described (Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive) the partitions.

extend up only to the air ports 29, and that the space above the cells or compartments,

in which space the combustion takes place, is

undivided, thus forming a single horizontal combustion flue of large sizei In the furnace of Figs 7, 8 and 9, the partitions-5O extend above even-the gas ports 51 (corre-, sponding to ports 26 in Figs. 1 to 6), and each cell so produced is provided with its llow partitions and side walls and own cover, 52. Thus each cell or. compartment has its own horizontal combustion flue.

It will also be seen that each hollow partition has two down-flues 53, 53, side by side, instead of one .as 'in Figs. 1 to 6, said flues opening into their. respective cells through the sides of the partitions by way of ports 54 at one end, instead of through the topas in Figs. 1 to 6. Thus each cell is independ ent of the rest,so that it is easy to regulate the gas flow in each, independently of the others, by proper .proportioning of the ports and passages, say by partially closing with fire brick those ports that are found to be too large, so that the several compartments in one chamber will be heated uniformly.

I Moreover, the arch of the covers in Figs. 7,

8 and '9 is short, being only 'as long as the 7 width of individual cells; whereas in. Figs. 1 to 6 the arch of the cover 10 extends across the entire chamber, as shown in Fig.

3 for example, thus imposing a limit (in practice) to the size of themain chambers.

The passages or down-flues 53 in the construction illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are baffled by large horizontalbaflles 55, as are also the corresponding passages in the side walls of the chambers. The transverse gaspassages 57, leading from the central main or manifold 58, are in the form of flues in the top of the end walls, closed by covers 60, composed of removable sections.

The operation of the furnace shown- Figs. 7, 8, and 9 is the same as that of the furnace 'illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, already described. In both, 'the ends, sides, and bottom of each cell? or pocket are provided with interior passages or flues for the flow of air and gases. Thus, reverting to Fig. 6, the cells or pockets in chambers a, b, 0, d, which we have assumed contain fired carb ns, are

eachtraversed on all sides (both on s, bothf sides, top, and bottom) by air drawn 1n'by.zj way of the chamber-X, which is open.* The cells or pockets 'of chamber a (the firing chamber) are each traversed on five of the six sides (both sides, one end, top and bottom) by the highly heated products of combustion. The cells or pockets of chambers f, g'h are each traversed on all sides (both ends, both sides, top and bottom) by the products of combustion. The course in each chamber is in general the same; up the first "(in Fig. 6 the left) end wall, then lorrgitudinally over the top of the cells, laterally to the partitions ll (-50 in Fig. 7) and downwardly therethrough, thence laterally into the chambers in the floor, thence longitudi-' nal'ly to the next end wall and up the latter to the ports 29 therein, -or the ports 61 in Fig.9. Y j I claim:

-1. In a'furnace'of the-type described, a chamber. having a hollow end wall, provided with a channel or flue adapted to receive air or gases at its bottom from outside the chamber and equipped at its top with outlet ports, and provided with a transverse gasconduit above said channel, said gas-conduit being provided with outletports; side-walls having channels or fiues adapted to receive at their upper portions air or gases discharged from the aforesaid ports and discharge the same at their lower portions;

longitudinal partitions dividing the chamber into a plurality of cells or pockets, and having channels or flues adapted to receive at their upper portions air or gases discharged from the aforesaid ports and discharge the same attheir lower portions; a bottom haymg channels or flues to recelve air or gases from the channels in said sidewalls and partitions; and a second endwall havin' a channel or flue connected at its bottom wit the bottom channels or flues to receive air or gases therefrom and having at its top outwardly open ports for discharging said air or gases.-

2. In a furnace of the type described,

a chamber having a first hollowend-wall adapted to receive air or gases at its botttom from outside the chamber and discharge the same at its upperpart; hollow side walls and longitudinal partitions adapted to receive at their up er portions the air or gases discharged by t e first end-wall and discharge the same at their lower portionsfa hollow bottom adapted to receive the air or gases discharged 'by' the hollow side-walls and partitions and conduct the same longitudinally of the chamber; and a second h0l low end-wall adapted to receive at s bottom air or gases' from the hollow bot and discharge the same outwardly at its upper art.

3. In a furnace of the type described, a

chamber of the kind set forth inclaim 2, in.

which the first end wall is provided at its top with a transverse gas-conduit having lnwardly open burner-ports, and having at one end an inlet for connection with a source of combustible gas and at its other end an outlet, and removable closures for said inlet and said outlet. 4. In a furiiace of the type described, a

chamber of the: kind set forth in claim 2, in

which each end-wall is provided atits top with a transverse gas-conduit having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other,

with removable closures therefor; each conduit having outlet ports, those in the first end-wall opening toward the chamber and those in the second end-wall opening away from the chamber.

5. In a furnace of the type, described, a chamber of the kind set forth in claim 2, in

-which the hollow side-walls and partitions are provided with baffling means to give the air or gases a tortuous course therethrough.

6. In a. furnace of the type described, a

series of chambers of the kind set forth in claim 2, arranged end to end, the second end v wall of one chamber being the first end-wall 'of the next in order, whereby the air or gases flow through the walls, partitions and bottoms of the chambers in succession.

7. In a furnace of the type described, two

parallel rows or series of chambers of the kind set'forth in claim 2, arranged end to end, the end-walls of the chambers of both rows except the second end wall of the last of each row having transverse gas conduits provided with burner ports, and having inlets at their inner ends and outlets at. their outer ends'with removable closures therefor,

the second end wall of the last chamber of each row [being connected with the'first endwall ofthefirst chamber of: the other row; 'agas manifold extending longitudinally of the furnace between the rows and having outlets; and removable means for, connecting any of said manifold-outlets to the inlet of the gas-conduit in an end-wall of the adjav cent chamber in either row of chambers; waste-gas ducts extending along the outside of the furnace and having inlets provided with removable closures; and removable means for connecting the outlet of the gasconduit in the end-wall of any chamber to an inlet in the adjacent waste-gas duct.-

8. In a furnace of the type described, a longitudinal series of chambers each composed of a plural ty of cells or pock ets arranged side by side transversely of the furthe interior of the chamber and the other I having a transverse serie'sof ports opening toward the exterior, the exteriorly-opening ports of one chamber being the interiorlvopening ports of the next chamber in the.

series.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

BARTLEY ET BROADWELL. 

